Star Trek: Frontiers
Star Trek: Frontiers is a fan fiction series set in the 25th century that follows the adventures of the . Overview Set half a century after the Dominion War, Star Trek: Frontiers follows the Federation's attempt to establish a network of transwarp hubs leading to other galaxies. Not everyone however, is convinced that the Frontiers Project is the answer to the resource shortage facing the Federation, and tensions are high throughout the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Now, in the wake of a chain of disturbing political changes, a new starship ''Enterprise'' sets out on an unprecedented mission beyond our galaxy's borders. Along the way, the diverse crew of Spirans, Humans, Romulans, Klingons, Tellarites, Tikarans, and even Jem'Hadar must fight to keep the very fabric of the Federation in one piece, and with it the Alpha Quadrant itself. Scope and Thematic Elements Star Trek: Frontiers came to be during a tumultuous era in Star Trek history. The most recent two films had not done well, and the fifth television incarnation, Star Trek: Enterprise, fell far short of expectations. It is no accident, then, that many plot elements in Frontiers came to represent the larger metacrisis the fans were undergoing. What was happening to their beloved series? What was Star Trek at its core? Was it staying true to its heart and soul? In the universe of Frontiers, the Federation underwent a similar identity crisis. In the wake of the Dominion War, the Federation struggled to understand what it was and if it was still relevant. The war left the Federation scarred and impacted the entire generation to follow. The Frontiers Project was born out of this identity crisis. Thanks to the assistance of the Spirans, the Federation was able to develop cost-effective transwarp technology, thus increasing its reach well beyond the Milky Way. But what were those in power willing to sacrifice to attain this goal? Frontiers is foremost an adventure series, in the best tradition of TOS and TNG. However, the series examines the very heart of what the Federation - of what Star Trek itself - really is. The Cast The expansive cast of Frontiers is provided below, divided by ship and series status. USS Enterprise - Main Cast * Captain Kyle Sito - Captain, USS Enterprise * Commander Bruce Andrade - First Officer, USS Enterprise * First Ambassador Koth - High Ranking Ambassador to the Far Reaches * Lieutenant Commander Salea - Helmsman, USS Enterprise * Lieutenant Commander Rikilis - Chief Engineer, USS Enterprise * Doctor Kaol ir-Iuruth - Chief Medical Officer, USS Enterprise * Lieutenant Peridonis'Alya - Chief Tactical Officer, USS Enterprise * Lieutenant J.G. Celeste Kelly USS Enterprise - Recurring/Minor * Lieutenant Mia Contreras - Chief Science Officer, USS Enterprise * Lieutenant Ashley Williams - Chief of Security, USS Enterprise * Doctor Munz - Supervising Physician, USS Enterprise * Sam - Host, Ten-Forward * Commander Temar - Commander of Romulan Engineering Corp USS Vanguard * Captain Marissa Lighthart - Captain, USS Vanguard / Former First Officer, USS Enterprise * Commander Jack Mitchell - First Officer, USS Vanguard * Lieutenant Commander B'lin Tevis - Chief Engineer, USS Vanguard / Former Assistant to Chief, USS Enterprise * Lieutenant Keali - Chief of Security, USS Vanguard Recurring Characters * Majenka Sito * Sydrin Cal * Admiral Bradley Miller * Admiral Jim Farrels * Admiral Steven Bullock * Aidan Rahl * Brea Catrin * Jennifer Morgan * Yanise * Kethar * Ambassador Caldyn * Ambassador T'Rikk * Seryna Dalal * Angelica Saath * Kalledonis'Alya Story and Production Background Originally conceived as a series of prose stories in 1994, series creator Joshua D. Maley eventually found a home for his idea in the world of scripted fan fiction, thanks to his discovery of Star Trek: Renaissance. Maley joined Renaissance as a staff writer to gain experience. Maley and co-creator Matthew Whipple launched Star Trek: Frontiers in May 2004. Initially dismissed as being a knock-off of Renaissance, Frontiers quickly established a regular readership who understood that the differences between the well respected and established Renaissance and the newcomer, Frontiers, were vast. Artwork and Video Frontiers pioneered the use of fully CG videos to help promote the series. Created by Paul Weaver, the early videos were silent clips of the series starships, often in combat situations. Paul also created still photos for the series. Over the years, Paul was able to produce full CG renders of the cast. The most recent videos include a full set of opening credits (accompanied by Peter D. Moore's theme song for the series, 'A New Frontier'), and a fully voiced trailer promoting the relaunch of the series at MZPtv. Release Difficulties Due to an ever-changing staff and considerable inexperience with showrunning, Frontiers became known for its erratic, inconsistent release schedule. For the first two seasons, in particular, Frontiers readers struggled with being able to keep up with the show's unpredictable schedule. It wasn't until the establishment of VirtualStarTrek.com - which Frontiers founded alongside Renaissance and newcomer Star Trek: Star's End - that the series began releasing episodes regularly. Despite its popularity, however, staffing issues eventually put the show on an extended hiatus from 2006 until 2009, where it emerged on another virtual series hub, MZPtv. At MZPtv, the series began re-releasing old episodes (many of which were re-edited to get rid of errors and formatting problems). The series never caught on at MZPtv, and support for the show was minimal. It again went on an extended hiatus. Frontiers resurfaced on Facebook, and on its old, pre-VirtualStarTrek domain, StarTrekFrontiers.net. Reduced to a staff of one, Maley has extensively revised many Season 1 and Season 2 episodes, and is currently writing the show's all-new third season. Season 1 Main article: Star Trek: Frontiers Season 1 The first season of the series dealt primarily with the Enterprise's journey to galaxy M106 to establish the first extragalactic transwarp hub. The season is marked by a number of notable events, such as the birth of the Separatist movement (an organized group of seceded Federation worlds who believe they best represent the founding ideals of the Federation), first contact with extragalactic beings, and the siege of the Frontier Station in M106. Early episodes center around the Enterprise's journey to M106. The stories often focus on the individual crew members as they face their new duties and responsibilities. Eventually, the crew discovers that one of their own is not who they appear to be. When they finally reach M106, they are put through several trials before completing construction of the transwarp gate in the season finale. The final episode brings with it a number of startling revelations and leaves the crew in a state of chaos and fear, as all they've been working for the entire season comes undone. Season 2 Main article: Star Trek: Frontiers Season 2 Season 2 begins with a six-part story arc that deals with the aftermath of the first season's finale. The crew is initially scattered to the winds; some of them are on the run, others return home to find clarity, and still others prepare to defend themselves from a court martial. The season also sees the unprecedented launch of a new Enterprise, the Enterprise-H. Later in the season, the apparent murder of the Klingon Chancellor draws the Enterprise crew into a secret war between Section 31 and its Separatist offshoot. The season ends with hostilities erupting between Tellar and Andoria over radiological weapons and the discovery of a vast and ancient map of transwarp corridors that all seem to converge at The Great Attractor. Season 2 featured a number of familiar faces, with the return of B'Elanna Torres and Worf during the Klingon arc. The destruction of the series primary ship, the Enterprise-G, just a year after its launch was a surprising twist. Adding to the darkness of the opening arc was an epilogue dealing with Salea's choices from an earlier episode, and her decision to try and end her own life to escape the burden of guilt. Later episodes featured a lighter tone, such as the return of the Children of Tama in "Don't Adjust Your Set" and Bruce Andrade's journey to an alternate universe where he is an actor playing the character of Andrade on a Star Trek television series. The season finale reveals that the Frontiers project has evolved, and that the Enterprise will be one ship amidst a "wagon train to the stars" being sent to investigate the Great Attractor and the origins of the transwarp map. Season 3 Main article: Star Trek: Frontiers Season 3 The third season of Frontiers is currently being written. It will deal with the launch of the Great Attractor mission in the two-part opener, Wagon Train to the Stars. The season will introduce a number of new crew members, including a command council formed by the captains of the ships in the fleet and headed up by Sydrin Cal, an old rival of Sito's from his homeworld and the only man to attain the rank of Bake'el Dao earlier than Sito. The season will also feature the so-called Mirror Universe for the first time, and will introduce terrifying figures from Spiran mythology. The season will consist of 16 brand new episodes, penned by series creator Joshua D. Maley. External link * Frontiers